The justification for COVID lock-downs was that the hospital system would be overwhelmed without them — though data show that lock-downs had no statistically-significant benefit in this regard, and very likely increased the hospitalization of those over age 55 (those most vulnerable to morbidity and mortality).
New York was the hardest hit, so all of the focus in answering the question if lock-downs were ever justifiable — by way of the “overwhelmed system” notion — can be focused in New York.
New York had 42,566 staffed hospital beds on 26 Mar 2020, and it can be asked if they ever needed any more than that.
[click image to enlarge; purple markings added]
Apparently, hospitals in New York (overall) were never at risk of being overwhelmed. But what about ICU beds? New York had 4,330 staffed ICU beds on 26 Mar 2020, but did they ever need more than that?
[click image to enlarge; purple markings added]
Apparently, ICU beds in New York (overall) were never at risk of being overwhelmed.
By 26 Mar 2020, New York had all the staffed hospital beds, and all of the staffed ICU beds, that they would ever need throughout the entire “pandemic.”
Reference
Association between city-wide lockdown and COVID-19 hospitalization rates in multigenerational households in New York City. PLOS. Published: March 30, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266127
New York State Statewide COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Beds. https://health.data.ny.gov/Health/New-York-State-Statewide-COVID-19-Hospitalizations/jw46-jpb7
Screenshot 1 (staffed beds on 26 Mar 2020):
[click image to enlarge]
Screenshot 2 (staffed ICU beds on 26 Mar 2020):
[click image to enlarge]